Unit 5 Bargaining Update #2

On June 23, 2026, the CUPE 3902 Unit 5 Bargaining Committee (BC) met with the Employer for the final time before adjourning for the remaining summer months and reconvening in the fall. This was the sixth meeting with the Employer since negotiations started on April 10, 2026. As discussed in our previous Bargaining Update and displayed in the Unit 5 Proposal Tracker, the BC has already tabled a substantial package of non-monetary proposals, reflecting key bargaining priorities like job stability and a respectful workplace.  

Updates from the Bargaining Table

On June 15, 2026, the BC put forward a proposal on Article 21 (Postings) to significantly increase the minimum length of postdoc contracts, currently set at only 12 months. We also proposed eliminating language that makes it easier to fire postdocs. Unit 5 members have consistently emphasized that short contract lengths are a major issue and have identified job stability and continuous growth as a top priority in the Unit 5 Bargaining Platform. The BC also proposed language to improve the transparency of funding sources for postdoc salaries and require PIs to provide guidance regarding career next steps as a postdoc approaches the end of their contract.  

The BC also tabled a proposal on Article 15 (Health and Safety) to bring the Unit 5 Collective Agreement in alignment with health and safety regulations. This proposal would ensure postdocs are informed about the risks of exposure to hazardous substances and are trained to safely handle such substances. 

While they have yet to provide a counterproposal, the Employer provided preliminary verbal responses on June 15 and 23, stating that significant increases to the minimum contract lengths of Unit 5 members would conflict with “the fundamental nature of postdoctoral appointments.” Moreover, members of the Employer bargaining committee appealed to “academic norms” and the “diversity” of postdoc job types as reasons why our job security demands would be a challenge for them. In short, the Employer appears to view Unit 5 jobs as fundamentally precarious and transient.  

While plenty of work remains to negotiate improvements to job security, the U5 BC has made progress on the less contentious non-monetary areas of the Collective Agreement. We have provided responses and exchanged proposals on several articles (e.g., Articles 4, 6, 8, and 10), requested information from the Employer regarding AI and other key bargaining issues, and proposed an updated timeline and format for the remaining negotiations. Despite public communications by the University that suggest the introduction of sweeping technological changes and implementation of AI across multiple areas of university life, the Employer has feigned ignorance at the bargaining table when asked about how AI changes will affect workers. They have claimed that there is “no master plan” and that changes to postdoc working conditions related to AI will occur on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of PIs.  

The BC has also engaged in discussions with the Employer around other topics Unit 5 members have ranked as important, such as teaching appointments in relation to overtime pay. During the previous round of bargaining (2023-2024), Unit 5 was confronted with a tradeoff: to maximize teaching opportunities for postdocs, we accepted withdrawing this type of work from eligibility for overtime compensation. Because this is a complex issue, the Unit 5 BC will continue to solicit feedback from members over the course of this bargaining cycle to ensure that our negotiations continue to reflect the priorities of postdocs.  

In our discussions with the Employer at the bargaining table, the BC has taken the opportunity to make the positions of Unit 5 members clear by reiterating survey results and anecdotes from the experiences of postdocs. While the Employer has not always returned with agreement, the BC has held firm and continuously communicated our position, which, in several cases, has resulted in favourable counterproposals. 

Bargaining Timeline and Multi-Unit Coordination

The June 15 bargaining session also provided the Unit 5 BC with an opportunity to present the Employer with an updated plan for the timeline and format for remaining negotiations. The BC proposed adjourning bargaining with the Employer for the remainder of the summer, in recognition of both the Employer’s previously stated interest in bargaining with other units at the University of Toronto and Unit 5’s current lack of capacity.  

Unit 5 is currently seeking to fill vacancies in multiple leadership positions, including Vice President and two positions on the Bargaining Committee. The current lack of capacity in Unit 5 leadership makes it difficult to rush the negotiation process. It is in the best interests of Unit 5 members to pursue collective bargaining in a deliberate manner, hence the BC’s request to adjourn until the fall to focus on recruitment and internal proposal development.  

On June 15, Unit 5 BC also expressed an intention to coordinate its bargaining with other units, including a proposal for a common table with Unit 1 to coordinate key areas with common interests (such as Artificial Intelligence and the teaching responsibilities of postdocs). The Employer was quick to provide a verbal response to the BC’s request for a common table between Unit 1 and Unit 5. As they relayed at the bargaining table, the Employer has “no interest” in a common table with other CUPE units and views coordinated bargaining as a “non-starter.”  

Unfortunately for the Employer, the coordination has in fact started: the BC’s request for a common table between Unit 1 and Unit 5 is part of a broader strategy of coordinated bargaining across the CUPE locals at the University of Toronto, bringing together academic workers, library workers, childcare workers, and service workers (including caretakers and cafeteria workers)!  

Next Steps + Get Involved!

The BC proposed adjourning for the summer (following the June 23 bargaining session), in recognition of the current vacancies on the Unit 5 BC and within Unit 5 leadership, and the challenges of scheduling over the summer months. Your Bargaining Committee’s strength at the negotiating table depends on your collective power as workers. There are many ways to stay in the loop and get more involved in your bargaining campaign to ensure a strong return to the table in the fall.  

The Unit 5 Bargaining Committee is currently welcoming applicants to fill existing vacancies. If you are interested in representing postdocs throughout the negotiation process and gaining hands-on experience with collective bargaining, please contact your local president, Marianna Reis, at president@cupe3902.org.   

You can also engage with the bargaining process by reading these updates, talking to your coworkers and Unit 5 stewards, attending info sessions, and joining union membership meetings. If you want to get more involved in building worker power across U of T, reach out to your Unit 5 lead steward, Carrie Pratt, at u5leadsteward@cupe3902.org. 

While we have now adjourned bargaining sessions with the Employer for the remainder of the summer, the U5 BC will continue to put our time to best use by meeting regularly and continuing our research and proposal development. We look forward to resuming the bargaining process in the fall — stronger than ever and ready to negotiate the best possible contract for postdocs!